And while the cane farmers and the Mennonites may criticize - the Briceno administration is doing its own balancing act with domestic security and worker groups engaging in civil disobedience.
We're talking about the cane famers and the stevedores where the security forces have clearly been directed not to provoke them.
But it has courted the state into a position where now they can't touch anyone - since a precedent has been set. We asked the Minister of Home Affairs about it yesterday:
Reporter
"When the caneros were lighting tires on the highway, we know the police showed great restraint in not being physically, abusing them or assaulting them or anything like that. There were no casualties, no injuries. But then they allowed as well the highway blockage to continue. And now we have the stevedores who seem to be heating up."
"How would the police act in this situation where you can't allow them to just do whatever they want, but you also have to show restraint?"
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"I think it is important to point out that there was dialogue between the police department and the Carneros whenever they were doing their protests. Whenever the police asked them to clear the highway, they would clear the highway. And so there was a mutual understanding and a mutual respect and adherence to the law. And I think that is the difference in this."
"I'm not saying that that is not happening. I think equally, if the stevedores continue to be law abiding, which from all indications they have been, I don't believe we will have any sort of confrontation. Again, it would only be if if anyone goes outside of the law and does something illegal, that would then prompt the police to act."
